Registration Statement No. 333-___________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                             -----------------------

                                    Form S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           The Securities Act of 1933

                             ----------------------


                           JAMES MONROE BANCORP, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)


                    Virginia                           54-1941875
        (State or Other Jurisdiction of       (IRS Employer I.D. Number)
         Incorporation or Organization)

                3033 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22201
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

            JAMES MONROE BANCORP, INC. 2003 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN
                              (Full Title of Plan)

                           John R. Maxwell, President
                           James Monroe Bancorp, Inc.
                              3033 Wilson Boulevard
                            Arlington, Virginia 22201
                                  703.524.8100
           (Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Agent for Service)

                                   Copies to:

                             Noel M. Gruber, Esquire
                             David H. Baris, Esquire
                         Kennedy, Baris & Lundy, L.L.P.
                                   Suite P-15
                               4701 Sangamore Road
                            Bethesda, Maryland 20816

                       -----------------------------------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Title of                   Proposed Maximum  Proposed Maximum     Amount of
Securities to be  Amount to be   Offering per   Aggregate Offering  Registration
  Registered       Registered      Share(1)         Price(2)             Fee
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common Stock,
 $1.00 par value    250,000         $19.07           $4,767,500        $385.70
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     (1) Represents the average of the high and low sales price for the
         common stock as of June 11, 2003, in accordance with the provisions of
         Rule 457(h)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933.

     (2) Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(h)(1) under the Securities Act of
         1933 solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee, based
         upon the average of the high and low sales prices for the common stock
         on June 11, 2003.





                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following documents filed with Securities and Exchange Commission
are hereby incorporated by reference herein:

         (1)      James Monroe Bancorp, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB
                  for the year ended December 31, 2002;

         (2)      James Monroe Bancorp, Inc.'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB
                  for the three months ended March 31, 2003;

         (3)      James Monroe Bancorp, Inc.'s Current Report on Form 8-K filed
                  on April 11, 2003;

         (4)      The description of James Monroe Bancorp, Inc.'s Common Stock
                  contained in its Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed
                  April 30, 2001; and

         (5)      All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of
                  the Exchange Act by James Monroe Bancorp, Inc. since the end
                  of the year covered in its Annual Report referred to in (1)
                  above.

         All documents filed by James Monroe Bancorp, Inc. pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to
the date hereof, and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment hereto
which indicates that all securities offered hereby shall have been sold or which
deregisters all securities remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated
by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

         As the securities to be issued pursuant to this registration statement
are registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this
item is inapplicable.

ITEM 5.  INTEREST OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         Not Applicable.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

         The Articles of Incorporation of James Monroe Bancorp provide that
James Monroe Bancorp shall indemnify its officers and directors against all
claims, liabilities, judgments, settlements, costs and expenses (including
attorney's fees) resulting from any action suit, proceeding or claim to which
such person is a party as a result of having been an officer or director if not
grossly negligent in such person's actions, such person conducted himself in
good faith and believed (a) in the case of such person's official capacity, that
his conduct was in the best interests of the corporation, (b) in all other cases
that his conduct was at least not opposed to its best interests; and (c) in the
case of any criminal proceeding, that he had no reasonable cause to believe that
his conduct was unlawful. The indemnification provided by the Articles of
Incorporation is not exclusive of any right to indemnification which any person
may be entitled to under any bylaw, resolution, agreement, vote of stockholders
or provision of law. No indemnification may be made where indemnification would
be in violation of Virginia law.


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ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         As no restricted securities are to be reoffered or resold pursuant to
this registration statement, this item is inapplicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

Exhibit Number                      Description
- --------------                      -----------
4              James Monroe Bancorp, Inc. 2003 Equity Compensation Plan

5              Opinion of Kennedy, Baris & Lundy, L.L.P.

23(a)          Consent of Kennedy, Baris & Lundy, L.L.P., included in Exhibit 5

23(b)          Consent of Yount, Hyde & Barbour, P.C.
- --------------------

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         The Registrant hereby undertakes that it will:

         (1) file, during any period in which it offers or sells securities, a
post-effective amendment to this registration statement to: (i) include any
prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the
"Act"); (ii) reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the
effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective
amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a
fundamental change in the information in the registration statement; and (iii)
include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not
previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to
such information in the registration statement.

         (2) for determining liability under the Act, treat each post-effective
amendment as a new registration statement relating to the securities offered,
and the offering of the securities at that time to be the initial bona fide
offering.

         (3) file a post-effective amendment to remove from registration any of
the securities that remain unsold at the end of the offering.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual
report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee
benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that
is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Act may be
permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant
pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against
public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.

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                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in Arlington, State of Virginia, on June 12, 2003.

                                        JAMES MONROE BANCORP, INC.


                                         By:  /s/ John R. Maxwell
                                             -----------------------------------
                                              John R. Maxwell, President

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

       Signature                        Title                           Date
       ---------                        -----                           ----

 /s/ Fred A. Burroughs, III
- ---------------------------      Director                          June 12, 2003
Fred A. Burroughs, III


 /s/ Dr. Terry L. Collins
- ---------------------------      Director                          June 12, 2003
Dr. Terry L. Collins



- ---------------------------      Director                                 , 2003
Norman P. Horn



- ---------------------------      Director                                 , 2003
Dr. David C. Karlgaard


 /s/ Richard I. Linhart          Director, Chief Operating
- ---------------------------      Officer, Secretary (Principal     June 12, 2003
Richard I. Linhart               Accounting and Financial
                                 Officer)


/s/ Richard C. Litman            Director                          June 12, 2003
- ---------------------------
Richard C. Litman


 /s/ John R. Maxwell             President, Chief Executive
- ---------------------------      Officer and Director (Principal   June 12, 2003
John R. Maxwell                  Executive Officer)


 /s/ Dr. Alvin E. Nashman
- ---------------------------      Director                          June 12, 2003
Dr. Alvin E. Nashman


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       Signature                        Title                           Date
       ---------                        -----                           ----

 /s/ Helen L. Newman
- ---------------------------      Director                          June 12, 2003
Helen L. Newman


 /s/ Thomas L. Patterson
- ---------------------------      Director                          June 12, 2003
Thomas L. Patterson


/s/ David W. Pijor               Chairman of the
- ---------------------------      Board of Directors                June 12, 2003
David W. Pijor


 /s/ Russell E. Sherman
- ---------------------------      Director                          June 12, 2003
Russell E. Sherman



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